This invention relates to a disposable pad for use with a surgical instrument having a supporting element and more particularly to a disposable pad of the type described for holding an artery or vein or other body tissue without damage.
Disposable pads for use with surgical instruments such as clamps and the advantages to be derived therefrom have previously been disclosed in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,503,396; 3,503,397; and 3,503,398. A pad typically includes a soft elongated member having some means for attaching the member to each jaw of the clamp. The elongated member preferably distributes the clamping force uniformly over the surface being held. The attachment means must therefore be sufficient to support the member securely in place on the jaw of the clamp during use to prevent slippage while at the same time facilitating easy removal of the member after use for disposal. When such means for attaching the soft elongated member to the jaw of the clamp are subjected to various external forces, however, the disposable pad can become disoriented or disengaged possibly causing damage to the artery or vein or other body tissue being held by the clamp.
While the prior art has dealt with the problems associated with temporarily attaching a disposable pad to a surgical instrument and later removing the pad for disposal with varying degrees of success, the present invention represents an improvement over all such prior art constructions.